Pulse tomatoes with juices in a food processor until chopped. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Let cool.

Stir spelt into a saucepan of salted boiling water. Reduce to a steady simmer; cook, uncovered, until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, add collard greens in batches to a pot of salted boiling water and cook until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with tongs and let cool. Trim off stems and thick ribs. Reserve 12 large leaves; chop any remaining leaves.

Working with one collard leaf at a time, arrange 1/4 cup filling in center. Fold stem end over filling. Fold in sides. Roll collard over to form a bundle, overlapping ends to seal. Transfer, seam-side down, to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Spread sauce evenly over stuffed collards. Cover with parchment, then foil; bake until sauce is bubbling and collards are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Remove the tough parts of the stems, and then cut the leaves and tender stems into 2-inch pieces.

In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for just a minute or two. Add the stems and a splash of water, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook slowly for about 10 minutes.

Uncover, add the leaves, and continue to cook until the stems and leaves are tender, 15 to 20 minutes longer. If the pan becomes dry while the greens are cooking, add a few more splashes of water.

Season the greens with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Serve warm. Enjoy!

From The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market Cookbook, 2006.… Read the rest

Reconstitute the mushrooms in a small bowl or cup with just enough boiling water to cover. Set aside to cool in the water.

In a pan large enough to hold the greens, heat the oil and sauté the garlic briefly, then add the greens. If you are using a mix of greens, add the tougher ones (like kale and collards) before the tender ones, like spinach. Cook until wilted. The time on this can range widely: for only kale, it may take many minutes, while spinach alone will take only a few seconds. If the greens start to stick, add a splash of water.

Scrape the cooked greens into the blender and combine with the mushrooms and their juices, Parmesan, toasted nuts, salt and pepper, and finally, a squirt of lemon juice. If your blender has variable speeds, start slowly and increase gradually. Puree until silky smooth.

Serve over cooked pasta, with meat or fish, on crackers or toasted baguette as an hors d’doeuvre, or as a spread on a sandwich.

Cover with plastic wrap and make sure the plastic wrap touches the entire surface of the pesto (this will keep it from turning brown). Will keep in the refrigerator for one week.

Warm a 10 quart pot. Melt the butter. Add diced onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook slowly until onions become translucent. Add sherry to onions cook for a few moments. Add half of the chopped greens. Cover pot. Steam the greens of a few moments. Stir the greens into the onions. Add the rest of the greens and cover. Steam the greens for a moment then stir them. Cover pot and cook over low heat until the greens are tender stirring for time to time. It should take about 30 minutes. Add the vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.